In a too-brief career that ended Wednesday at age 51 while he was vacationing in Rome, Actor James Gandolfini can be celebrated for performances on TV, on stage and in films that reached beyond the obvious triumph of "The Sopranos"

FILE - In this Nov. 16, 2004 file photo supplied by the USO, James Gandolfini, poses with a bust of Saddam Hussein during a visit to Camp Doha, Kuwait,on Tuesday, November 16, 2004. Gandolfini and fellow actor Tony Sirico, who plays Paulie Walnuts in the series, visited U.S. troops in Kuwait and Iraq sponsored by the United Service Organizations. Gandolfini, whose portrayal of a brutal, emotionally delicate mob boss in HBO's \"The Sopranos\" helped create one of TV's greatest drama series and turned the mo